Town History

St. Delphine, a Spanish land grant of 218.2 acres is given to Valery Bergeron.

St. Delphine Plantation House

Isadore Daigle acquired St. Delphine land which contained 1,200 acres and named it St. Delphine for his wife. The mansion was built in 1859.

 

August Levert purchases St. Delphine.

T&P construct a railroad through Addis to New Orleans. The area becomes known as Baton Rouge Junction.

Levert School established at St. Delphine.

Levert-St. Delphine School

Horse Driven Hack
This "hack" was the grandparent of the modern school bus. 
As many as nine girls rode inside, while the boys walked behind.

A post office on the river road at Mark, Louisiana is established with August Levert as the first postmaster.

Postcard received in Mark, Louisiana on March 4, 1906.  Children Unknown

Baton Rouge Junction becomes Addis for John Wesley Addis, an official of T&P.

John Wesley Addis standing in the center

Speeding Along
The Velocipede or "Speeder" was a small vehicle used by the railroad for one-man travel and switchyard maintenance purposes.

Addis incorporated as a Village. George Booksh is elected as the first mayor.
John Wesley Addis, founder, died in Marshall, Texas.

 

Addis Ice Company is established to serve the railroad and the community. (Owned by Edward Bird)

Addis Ice Company established in 1916.

Addis Ice Company Ad

Bank of Addis is chartered, organized by William Gassie, Jr. with 400 stockholders who invested $75.00 each.

The Bank of Addis
This building was originally built to serve as the Bank of Addis, chartered in 1919. The bank failed after the Stock Market crash of 1929. J.H. "Doc" Hebert bought the building and used it as a Post Office and store. The U.S. Postal Service continued to use the building until 1981. The Bank of Addis was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1992. The original bank vault is still in the building.

 

 

Young girls of Addis dressed as Red Cross Nurses during World War I. They served lemonade and cookies to troops passing through on trains.
In photo: Left to Right (F) Alice Clare Clover, Hazel Booksh, Genevieve Booksh; (M) Beatrice Molaison, Emily McCaa; (B) Unidentified

Working on the "Bridge Gang"
Benjamin Tullier, left, at work on the site of the Plaquemine R.R. Bridge.

 

Addis baseball team of the early 1920's, comprised of T&P Employees and managed by Mayor George Booksh.

Levert Addis School 1921-1922

Principal- Leda Mellon
Back Row (left to right):  Beatrice Molaison-7th,
Alzina Ramagos-7th, Mamie Fore-7th
2nd Row from Back: Eloise Hotard-7th, Agnes Nichols-7th, Marie Tullier-7th,
Henrietta Bourgeau-7th, Felicia Robeau-7th, Carmen Hebert-7th
3rd Row from Back:  Bernard Allain-4th, Genevieve Booksh-7th,
Mildred Blanchard-4th, Ursula Gassie-7th, Etta Higgins-4th,
Onie Dell Peyeronnin-7th, Edith Mae Cazes-4th,
Mildred Allain-4th, Marguerite Heck-4th
4th Row from Back:  Joseph Templet-7th, Vivian Allain-7th,
Deswart Jordan-7th, Eldon Deroche-7th, Bentley Morrow-7th,
Ledore Guidry, Theodore Clement
5th Row from Back: Dalton Guidry, Kernan Banker, Frank Foret-7th,
Wilmer Nicholas, Fred Cazes-7th
Not in Picture: Morris Gordon-7th, Winnie Krebs-7th, Esta Acosta-7th

Levert Addis School

1925

Bank of Addis becomes a branch of Port Allen bank & Trust Company.

 

The People’s Hotel
Addis’s first hotel was located on the corner of Main Street and the railroad tracks. The proprietors, Mr. And Mrs. Gilbert, are pictured on the porch of the establishment. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1931.

 

Lise Blanchard White
11/30/1852 - 6/19/1935
Ran a boarding house on First Street (the house is still standing today).

Greatest flood on lower Mississippi River Delta on record—400 are killed and 700,000 are left homeless.

The Flood of 1927
Engineer A.E. Fitzgerald volunteered to make a run to the town of Red Cross, Louisiana to rescue stranded flood victims. This large engine, part of the "Banana Special" from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, traveled cautiously over flooded tracks for fear of "washout".

Excursion train Round-Trip-Specials from Addis to New Orleans cost $1.00.

 

T&P began construction of a new depot and hotel.

First T&P Addis Depot
Then known as Baton Rouge Junction, Addis’s first T&P Railroad Depot was erected in 1904. The beautiful old station was demolished in 1940 to make room for a new depot building on the exact location.

The Addis Astronaut
Watchman Manuel "Fellow" Dickerson, Jr., jokingly called the Addis Astronaut, survived a locomotive boiler explosion that sent the engine he occupied flying through the air several hundred feet.

Levert-Addis School
7th Grade Graduating Class - 1940
From Left to Right: Lois Tullier, Mary Drago, Claude Bourgoyne, Leonard Strehle,
Jimmy McDermott, Iris Bergeron, Ethel Mae Johnson, Farrell Marionneaux,
Principal C. J. Lousteau, Lorraine Rivet, Helen Lucuc, E.J. Wroten,
Marion Cazes, Gertrude Smith, Norris Bourgoyne,
Mary Ann Bezet, & Faye Tullier

A canning center is opened in conjunction with the Food-for-Freedom Project. Carmen Caldwell, the custodian, was paid one can of fruit and two cans of vegetables for every ten that were canned.

St. Delphine land is sold to James Laws of Cinclaire.

1944-1945

Levert - Addis School
First and Second Grades
Teacher- Ms. Yvonne Cazes
From Left to Right:
First Row:  Frances Crochet- 1st, Carroll Bourgyne-1st, Bobby Sue Falcon,
Earl Devillie-1st, Marie Johnson-1st, Jimmy Johnson
Middle Row: Huey Simms-1st, Elma Smith-1st, Rena Hebert-2nd,
Mary Janice Johnson-2nd, Unknown
Tow Row: Betty Jean Prejean-1st, Lucille LeJeune-2nd, Ralph J. Cazes-2nd,
Barbara Comeaux, Jocelyn Myhand, Elizabeth Drago-1st, Unknown, Unknown,
Unknown, Aldridge Tullier-2nd, T.C. Smith-2nd, Mervin Barrieaux

World War II: Three Addis citizens receive the Silver Star posthumously.

 

George Edward Lejeune: Gunner and engineer on B-24 Air Force
Killed at Casablanca on October 9, 1943 at the age of 23.

Ray Anthony Rivet: Killed at Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands on November 20, 1943 at the age of 18.

Hubert J. Dupuy: Killed in France on September 15, 1944 at the age of 31.

W.W.II Veteran
Howard Johnson

Thelma Eads taught in West Baton Rouge for a total of 27 years.
Mrs. Eads first taught at a one-room school for black children grades 1-7, which was located on the present site of the Addis VFW Hall.  She later served as Principal of the Addis Elementary School.  Her husband, like many residents, was employed by the T&P Railroad as a mechanic in the Motor Transport Garage.

April 21, 1950

A train derails 19 cars, the depot burns and a four-year-old child is killed

 

One of the early projects of the Town Council in the 1950s was to install street lights in the Village of Addis. Mr. Efferson, Gulf States Utilities Company, presented the first light to town officials. Left to right: Water Rabalais, Alderman; George Booksh, Mayor; A. E. Fitzgerald, Alderman; Arthur LeJeune, Sr., Town Clerk; Officials of Gulf States Utilities.

1953

Joe Myhand forms the A-Bomb baseball team, which exist until 1989. This is the first organized sport for 13-15 year old boys in this area.

 

The A-Bombs
Bottom Row- left to right: Dan Burns, Oscar Bourgoyne, Louis Spragio, Jr.,
M.J. Tullier, & H.J. Legendre
Middle Row: Unidentified, M.J. Hebert, E.J. Tullier, Robert Cazes,
& Bill "Bubba" Myhand
Third Row: Joe Myhand & Robert Strauss

 

Sgt. First Class Lawrence M. Gassie receives the Bronze Star for heroic achievement in the Korean Conflict.

Ada Gassie and Grandson Lawrence M. Gassie

Article in the Louisiana Municipal Review states the fact that Addis pays no municipal taxes – a fact that continues to this day.


1956

DOW Chemical ground breaking, employing many, and increasing railroad traffic.

January 18, 1957

"Band of Angels" begins filming on location in Addis. Many Addis citizens work as extras with Clark Gable and Yvonne DeCarlo in the lead roles.

Clark Gable during the filming of "Band of Angels" in Addis. Several Addis citizens worked as extras in the movie and can be seen waving to the riverboat on the levee of the Mississippi River in one scene.

Addis Volunteer Fire Department was established with a $1 lease-purchase and restoration of a 1924 American LaFrance fire engine. Leon Caldwell becomes the first Fire Chief.

1924 American LaFrance Fire Engine

 

Front Row:
Margaret Chaisson (Simpson), Unidentified, Lottie Drago, Bee Molaision,
A.C. Chaisson, Galen Chaisson, Salvadore Drago, Unidentified,
Charles Lucus, Beaura Fitzgerald
at the bridge over the canal in the back of Addis.

The four-lane highway through Addis is completed.

Ladies Auxiliary to VFW
From Left: Melba Goodwin, Bobbie Falcon Clouatre, Lois Tullier Rivet,
Barbara Fitzgerald, Germaine Fitzgerald, Peggy Berthelot LeBlanc,
Unknown, Gertrude Drago Tumminello, Margaret Tullier Berthelot,
Unknown, Shirley Junot, Mary Drago Palermo,
Gladys Comeaux, & Mamie Fitzgerald
 

September 15, 1960

Addis Recreation Commission, Inc. established consisting of Edward Seneca, Freddie Martinez, Betty Chustz, Irene Parrish, Roy Mouch, Leslie Ramagos, W.J. Goodwin, and Lytle Chustz, as fist Board of Directors.

 
1962

First Addis Mardi Gras Parade is held. The parade consisted of children of the community pulling their decorated wagons.

The First Addis Volunteer Fireman’s Parade
To show off their newly restored fire engine in 1963, the people of Addis decorated children’s wagons and took to the streets in celebration.

First King and Queen - Hunter Miller and Donna Breaux  

George Booksh cited by Louisiana Municipal Association as the oldest serving mayor in the state.

 

Copolymer begins construction.

October 10, 1969

V.F.W Members from left : Gerald "Buck" Tullier, Louis Spragio, W.J. Goodwin, Charles "Chuck" Tuminello

 

VFW Members Post 3785
Addis, Louisiana
Left: R.L. Berthelot, Sr. and Charles L. "Chuck" Tuminello

Ground breaking for the new Addis VFW Hall.

V.F.W. Members from left: Myran Comeaux, Hewitt Bouquet,
Jack Sarradet, & Allen Landry

August 26, 1977

Addis becomes a town with a population of 1,245.

 Riley J. Spurlock
Policeman & Chief of Police
Town of Addis  1977-1988

Myhand Park dedicated

New Post Office opens

First Addis Mardi Gras Ball

 Town Council Members and Mayor show off the new maintenance truck

Addis receives Louisiana Municipal Association Award for outstanding municipal improvement of public service.

 
September 1, 1990

Addis celebrates their 75th birthday

Click on the picture above to view more scenes from the celebration!

Addis Civic League Established

 

Solid Waste Treatment Facility is dedicated.

 

Addis Municipal Center is dedicated.

 

The Mayor and Alderman at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Packing up the Old Town Hall

 

Moving into the New Town Hall

 

 

August 7, 1996  

Annexation of additional land increased the population by 500 citizens

Addis Historical Society Open House

Dedication of Memorial Tree
Sponsored by the Addis Civic League

August 7, 1999

The Town of Addis in conjunction with the Addis Assemblee' Reunion Committee and the Congres Mondial Acadien hosted the Bergeron, Caillouet, and Gautreaux Family Reunions.

Click on the picture above to view more scenes from the celebration!